Jobseeker payments will be extended until the end of March 2021.

The temporary coronavirus supplement will be available to unemployed Australians at a reduced rate under a federal government decision to boost the $16.8 billion payment.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the decision on Monday, advising the rate is likely to drop down from around $250-$150 a fortnight.

The Chief Health Officer of Queensland, Jeannette Young, is optimistic that borders will open to Victoria by early December.

With Melbourne’s eleventh consecutive day of zero cases, Young proclaims this progress is “exciting” and ignites hope that travel will be allowed between the states by Christmas.

Young stated the final decision will be made before the end of the month, and any alterations to the restrictions will be effective as of December 1st.

Australian anti-family violence campaigner Natasha Stott Despoja has been elected to the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

The former South Australian senator has joined a body of 23 independent experts that oversee the advancement of UN member states’ processes to eradicate discrimination against women.

Despoja will be the first Australian member of the Committee in 28 years.

Pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has produced a COVID-19 vaccine that may be 90% effective in terminating the spread of the virus.

Although still early, 94 infections have been treated so far in the trial, where tests results have looked promising.

Working alongside German company BioNTech, Pfizer is on the way to applying for emergency use approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Whilst this is all promising news, authorities are still advising it is unlikely the vaccine will be ready by the end of the year.

Six weeks of heavy fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan have come to an end.

The Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has stated he has signed a deal with Azerbaijan and Russia’s leaders to cease the military battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Mr Pashinyan confirmed the situation on social media, announcing “the decision is made basing on the deep analyses of the combat situation and in discussion with the best experts in the field”.

The declaration is set to come into effect from 8AM Australian Eastern Daylight Time Wednesday.

The US stock market has risen after the promising outlook of a COVID-19 vaccine was announced by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The release of a potential cure being available soon has raised hopes among the nation, who have endured business shut downs and the death of over 230,000 Americans.

Companies that have suffered the most from the pandemic, such as airlines and cruise operators, have rocketed, as well as banks and oil firms seeing an increase.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane have begun operating an advanced radiotherapy system to treat cancer faster and with higher accuracy.

The hospital’s director of radiation oncology, Margot Lehman, advised the new equipment would be used on around 400 patients a year and “improve their post-treatment quality of life.”

The new technology is claimed to be quicker, decreasing the amount of treatments as well as reduced appointment times for patients.

From today, the Queensland border entry system will implement an upgraded application process. This system is intended to speed up border entry throughout the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

The online application process now automatically chooses the type of pass a person will need, based on a series of questions asked. Supporting documents are to be uploaded online, instead of hard copies being shown at the border.

The new arrangement is to help minimise the risk of people trying to enter the state under false